


After Hours

by transangelic



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Canon Asexual Character, Feel-good, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, Martin-centric but theres some Jon POV's too!, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, Teacher AU, Trans Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Trans Martin Blackwood, elias is headmaster, one bed trope, there really is not that much angst, they are all teachers!, they are both trans bc... why not, uhm. yea all that good stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24802834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transangelic/pseuds/transangelic
Summary: He witnessed a tall man, who he came to know as Jonathan Sims, esteemed teacher of Bishop Academy, and genuinely thought he was some rich child’s dad. Martin stood there as students passed and greeted each other around him, dumbstruck by this anomaly of a man standing at the gate of his new job. He only realized he was not actually someone’s dad when he saw him passively greet the returning students and felt a bit of a shock that he would be working alongside him...orMartin Blackwood is the new English teacher at Bishop Academy. Jonathan Sims had taught there for 4 years, and doesn't have much to show for it. Slow Burn ensues.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood & Sasha James, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, tiny bit of past Martin Blackwood/Tim Stoker
Comments: 26
Kudos: 175





	1. part 1, Martin POV

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by Doomed from the Start by @peachcitt!  
> important: some of the tags are for later chapters that ill post later!   
> i love teacher au's and I really wanted to write my own...so here it is! i already have a few chapters written so i'll be updating every few days! uh disclaimers i'm not british so sorry if it's a bit off. hope you enjoy!   
> title is from after hours by the velvet underground  
> my writing playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Gg84zc0J1ROocwIoxPnvY?si=0yLl0gJ0Q768UHa6-iMNcw

When Martin first saw Jon, it was like some sort of glitch in time. He witnessed a tall man, who he came to know as Jonathan Sims, esteemed teacher of Bishop Academy, and genuinely thought he was some rich child’s dad. His name was written on a small name tag plastered to his blazer in a childish bubble font, and he quickly realized that his tallness was a hoax. Jon wore heeled black boots, something out of a fancy Men's magazine he would read in a salon. Tim, his teacher friend from his previous school would have deemed as “Fuck-Me Pumps”, and he would not have been wrong. Shoes aside, Jon was dressed head to toe in tweed, with dark brown leather elbow patches on his blazer and a creaseless, perfectly starched rich green button-up. His eyes looked worn, and his long, deep hazel hair cascaded down his perfect outfit gracefully. 

Martin stood there as students passed and greeted each other around him, dumbstruck by this anomaly of a man standing at the gate of his new job. He only realized he was not actually someone’s dad when he saw him passively greet the returning students and felt a bit of a shock that he would be working alongside him. He suddenly felt very stupid, dressed in a charity shop jumper and shabby beige dress pants he had worn to some relatives wedding years back. He looked around, seeing his new surroundings, hit by a strike of nausea at the fact that he was going to have to make a lot of first impressions today. 

Bishop Academy was a prestigious little thing, he had only found a way in because of Sasha, his good friend. He still had no clue how he actually got hired, he had stuttered his way through the initial interview and almost started crying immediately after it was over. Plus the whole trans thing, which made it harder to get a decent job in London. But surprisingly, he had been hired. The actual school was a brick building with church-like stained glass windows, sunlit classrooms, and a wide open campus covered in large trees and lunch areas. The students had a basic uniform of green pleated skirts and pressed blouses for the girls, and black dress pants with dark green button-ups for the boys. He didn’t personally love the idea of how gendered that was, but he was only a first-year English teacher, and couldn’t do much about it. 

As he walked through the overarching gate, complete with golden letters proudly stating the school’s name and its date of establishment, he dared to make eye contact with Mr. Sims, and while he didn’t actually catch his eyes at first, he did notice he wore gold plated earrings in each ear, glinting in the sun peeking outwards from the morning clouds. As he stared at him, the man suddenly turned his head to meet Martin’s, looking up at him through black eyelashes. He interrupted Martin’s hyper swarm of thoughts, still staring at this man. 

“Yes?” He could hear the exasperation in his voice, and though he couldn’t blame him, it scared him off a bit more.   
“Oh- Hi,” He waves slightly with his free hand to an unimpressed Jon. “I’m Martin Blackwood, or er, Mr. Blackwood, I guess. I’m the new English teacher.”   
Jon shifts his weight, pausing as a student runs between the both of them.   
“You weren’t at the orientation meeting.”   
“I had a personal thing come up.” That was true, he had to take care of his mother as her leg pain or something or other had started flaring up again, and as he was getting ready to go to the orientation, he had to take the 2-hour train to his mother's house.   
“Ah. Well. I’m Mr. Sims.”   
Jon looked wholly disinterested as he said this, and mumbled his goodbyes as Martin quietly said “Nice to meet you” as he walked away, disappearing into the flood of identically dressed teenagers. 

Martin quickly decided this would not do. It was only a small interaction, but he was instantly drawn to Jon. Though, he didn’t even know what he taught for god’s sake. As he walked into the brightly lit school corridor, he decided he would get Jonathan Sims to like him. Martin could not stand being disliked, especially if he had to spend the near future in the person in question’s vicinity.   
As he was brooding, he quickly realized he did not have a clue where his classroom was. He sought out to find Sasha and to his luck, when he turned a corner, there she was. He had known Sasha since uni, and greatly appreciated her help on getting him a job here. At least I have a friend here, he thought. He graciously asked Sasha where his classroom was, and as they walked there he asked about Jon.   
Sasha stared at him briefly, and said   
“Mr. Sims? Oh, Martin. Don’t even try. He’s such a basket case.” Sasha could read him so easily, goddammit. He stayed silent, trying to think of something to deflect her from pitying him even further. She went on to say “Seriously, Martin. Last year, I saw him leave and go straight home during his own birthday party. We had even gotten him rum and raisin ice cream, which is a total old man flavor.”   
He smiled at that, and put his hands up and reluctantly said “Okay. O-Okay. I won’t do anything” as they reached his classroom. Sasha wished him goodbye and a needed good luck as he opened the door to a classroom full of tired-looking teenagers, no doubt ready to eat him alive if he did or said anything stupid.   
Martin had had no time to decorate his classroom yet due to his mother’s ailments, and the stark white walls seemed to close in on him as he set down his book bag at the dingy wooden desk and cleared his throat. Only a few out of the maybe twenty-or-so students looked up, and as he wrote Mr. Blackwood on the stained whiteboard, the ink ran out in his Expo marker. Today was going to be a long day.


	2. part 2, martin POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sound of something ceramic breaking had woken him from this haze, and convinced he was the only one on campus so late, he hesitantly grabbed his envelope opener from his desk and stepped out of his classroom into the poorly lit hallway.   
> Seeing as it was the only one with the light still on, he peeked into the neighboring classroom and was surprised to see Jonathan Sims hunched over a pile of what seemed to be broken shards of a mug that had said “World’s Okayest Teacher”.
> 
> Martin and Jon meet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here is the second chapter! hope you enjoy! the next chapter will be jon pov :)

Martin’s first week at Bishop was incredibly tiring, and though he hadn’t assigned any homework yet out of basic human decency, he had so much work to do with lesson planning and checking in on his mother, while trying to find time to eat and do normal things like finish the book he was reading, or catch up on his favorite shows. He always left early at the end of the school day, resorting to scribbling lesson ideas on the tube home, and always ate lunch with Sasha in her classroom which was much more furnished then his. Therefore, he was completely not like himself at the moment. Normal Martin would have learned everyone’s names and how they like their tea, but he was so overwhelmed that he couldn’t find much time to do so. The other teachers seemed to be in a similar situation, which was a bit comforting. 

It took Martin a week to realize Jon’s classroom was next to his. They both entered and left the school at different times, especially Jon. He had heard from Sasha that he was a bit of a basket case, but he didn’t know to what extent he was a workaholic.

On Friday of his second week, he had decided to stay late to start putting up posters and decorations around his classroom, and he had spaced it and had stayed until 9, mindlessly stapling encouraging banners and portraits of famous authors to the previously lacking walls. The sound of something ceramic breaking had woken him from this haze, and convinced he was the only one on campus so late, he hesitantly grabbed his envelope opener from his desk and stepped out of his classroom into the poorly lit hallway. 

Seeing as it was the only one with the light still on, he peeked into the neighboring classroom and was surprised to see Jonathan Sims hunched over a pile of what seemed to be broken shards of a mug that had said “World’s Okayest Teacher”. He smiled and wondered who had bought him that. Jon was still attempting to clean up and dispose of the mess as Martin tried to let him know there was someone else in the room, and not scare the shit out of him. 

“Um. J-Jon.” He said as he awkwardly tapped the still-crouching man on the shoulder, inwardly cursing himself for  _ already  _ giving him a nickname. 

Jon whipped around, almost falling right into the pile of shards and looked up at Martin for a long few seconds, no doubt trying to calm himself down. 

“Mr. Blackwood. W-Why are you here so late? It’s almost 11.”

Martin doesn’t answer immediately, suddenly distracted by the task at hand, determined to make himself useful. He looks up at Jon, and realizes now both of them are squatting over the glass, and tells him about how he was decorating his classroom. 

Martin stutters out an answer, and slowly realizes that Jon’s classroom is completely bare, except for an old-fashioned white board and the desks sitting six by six. He knew Jon wasn’t a first year, but had he really been here a long time without doing anything to his classroom?

“So, Uh. How long have you been teaching at Bishop?” he asks.

“Four years.” Jon answers curtly, and goes back to sweeping. 

He didn’t blame him for being a bit quiet, it was very late. Neither of them were where they would have liked to spend their Friday night, that much was clear.

Martin had not had much luck recently with his love life, if he could call it that. He and Tim had dated for a bit while he worked at Christopher Elementary, his old school. They had decided to break it off just before Martin moved schools. It had been going okay, but it was clear that neither of them saw it going anywhere, and they stayed friends. He had tried dating apps before, but had had some truly rubbish experiences, and with the prospect of a new school, had put the subject on the back burner for now. 

He didn’t know exactly what drew him to Jon. Maybe the air of mystery in the way he dressed, or how different the two seemed to be. After his incredibly brief interactions with him, he found himself hoping that he would walk into the break room while he was making his afternoon tea, or run into him on the tube. Martin knew it was certainly a bad idea to fall for a teacher, a coworker, who he had barely had talked to, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about what he was like behind his seemingly rough exterior. 

After they had cleaned up the mess the best they could, Martin, wanting an easy seque to end this awkward silence and to quench his borderline tea addiction, he asked Jon if he wanted a cuppa, in a new mug, of course. Jon begrudgingly said yes, and unsurprisingly wanted no sugar and only the tiniest bit of milk in his tea, and he set off to the small break room to make it. 

This is good, Martin thought as he walked through the poorly lit hallways, Maybe if I talk to him more, I’ll find a reason to hate him and I can stop this stupid crush from developing further. 

\--------------------------------

That method was not working. Two more weeks passed, and Martin just wanted to get to know him more. He constantly wondered what he was like outside of the walls of Bishop Academy. Martin consistently brought him tea without even asking as he already knew his order now, and stayed a bit later just in case they would run into each other on the way out. He still hadn’t even asked him what bloody subject he taught, and nothing in Jon’s lackluster classroom had helped him come to a conclusion in any way. 

His mind has seemed to have taken the idea of Jonathan Sims, teacher-recluse and ran with it. He felt a bit insane, thinking daily of what it would be like to run his fingers through his long hair, twist his index around the graying roots at the top, which he seemed to wear proudly. He had seen Jon in a particularly handsome shirt, a dark blood red that fit him quite nicely, and had a dream that night that started with him unbuttoning the article. He was convinced there was something wrong with him. Why had he attached himself to Jon so quickly? It was completely unprofessional of him! He cursed himself over this stupid infatuation each night, but contiuned to think of him feverishly. What were his favorite poems, favorite songs? Where did he grow up? Was he a good cook? 

Martin quickly decided he was being utterly stupid. Why even think of it? Sophisticated, Passive Jon would never like, or even come close to loving him. They were different in every way. Jon and his life were neat, color coded, while Martin’s looked washed out, messy. He decided he had to stop this. Martin had been so lucky in his acceptance to Bishop, and he wasn’t going to fuck that up for a stupid crush. He had to actually have an actual conversation with the man, see for himself how completely incompatible they were. He didn’t even know if Jon liked men for god’s sake! Stupid. He tried to just not think about it, focus on his workload, but as the mindless grading continued, he found his thoughts always returning back to Jon. 


	3. part 3, jon POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Martin Blackwood was a strange man, Jon decided. Jonathan Sims had met him twice now, and each time the man had stuttered and bashfully apologized about nothing through each interaction, but he found himself actually wanting to see him again. That was a rare occurrence for Jon. Admittedly, he didn’t think much of romance, sex or otherwise...
> 
> Jon reflects on his feelings for the new English teacher, Mr. Blackwood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heres chapter 3! hope you enjoy

Martin Blackwood was a strange man, Jon decided. Jonathan Sims had met him twice now, and each time the man had stuttered and bashfully apologized about nothing through each interaction, but he found himself actually  _ wanting _ to see him again. That was a rare occurrence for Jon. Admittedly, he didn’t think much of romance, sex or otherwise. Poetry usually lost him after the first few lines, and he derived his music taste mostly from Georgie, his close friend, and the radio. He watched mostly documentaries and the occasional true crime podcast. But, whenever he overheard Martin telling Sasha about the film he had watched that weekend, or whatever new artist he had found, he felt the urge to know what he was talking about and had even started to compulsively whatever poet or band he spoke of. He found that he didn’t agree with Martin’s love for Keats, but he has surprisingly taken a liking to Richard Siken. Not that he would ever  _ actually  _ admit that. 

When he and Martin actually talked, he found himself getting even more defensive than usual. Georgie was right about his shit people skills. His students all hated him, which he could deal with to a point, decided it was okay, he never liked  _ his  _ teachers as an adolescent. He just tried not to think about it, went on talking about trinomials and quadratics as his students burned holes into the back of his head when he turned to write on the board. Martin and Jon both stayed after hours, longer than the other teachers. Every night, he would peer into the small window on his classroom door, see Martin scribbling away on a student's paper in some bright pink marker. He always looked so focused, and never too exhausted either, like he was genuinely enjoying something so mundane, grading papers. He almost daily stopped by Martin’s classroom, trying to work up the nerve to go in but never succeeding. The man never noticed, of course. That’s one thing Jon envied about Martin. He seemed to be a great teacher, always encouraging and friendly. Whenever he came into his classroom during period 3, when he had a free period and Jon had Algebra 2, the students always greeted him warmly. 

Jon had been at Bishop for four fucking years, and Martin had been there for a few weeks! He cursed himself for being so difficult, and Martin for being so  _ good. _ His thoughts, as of late, always returned to Martin. He had originally completely hated the man, had sent  _ wayyy  _ too many late night rants to Georgie and straight into his notes app about how doting and  _ caring  _ he was. 

Georgie was the one who had made him realize his feelings for Martin were something other than what he had thought was purely  _ hate  _ and  _ contempt.  _

\---------------------------------------

  
  


**Georgie Barker**

**G: hey jon!!!**

**G: hows the first month of school going?**

**J: It is going fine, but there is a new teacher**

**I find myself incredibly annoyed.**

**All the students are infatuated with him,**

**and he's only been here a week.**

**There’s something off about him, Georgie.**

**He keeps bringing me tea. We don’t even talk.**

**\- Jonathan Sims**

**G: jon i've told you this before**

**G: you don't have to sign off**

**your messages w your name :l**

******G:i know it's you**

**J: He is so trusting of me,**

**and he doesn't even know me!**

**I could be an axe murder or something**

**and he would keep asking if I want some biscuits!**

**G: oh you're still going**

**J: He seems so patient with his students too…**

**I have not once heard any type of telling off**

**come out of his mouth, and he teaches rich kid highschoolers!**

**G: well.**

**G: you seem to have given him a lot of thought**

**J: What does that mean?**

**G: you seem to be /infatuated** **_/_ ** **with him too**

**G: you really don't see it? you're actually thinking**

**about him while not at work.**

**G: that should mean something!**

**J: Absolutely Not! Even if I did, (which I do not),**

**he is my coworker! Would be completely inappropriate.**

**G: you’ve told me how headmaster elias acts,**

**I do not think it would be that bad lol**

**G: but. you’ve got to have at least thought**

**about it… right**

**J: Sigh**

**G: did you really just type out sigh**

**G: pls continue tho**

**J: If I look past my deep hatred for him,**

**I guess there are a few things I like about him.**

**G: HA**

**G: KNEW IT**

**G: this went a lot faster than i thought it would**

**G: damn i'm good ;)**

**J: Yes. Thank You Georgie**

**J: Well I don't really know what to do with this -breakthrough-.**

**I haven't even had a relationship in actual years!**

**G: that's more reason to get out**

**there and try!**

**G: if you ask him out, you can**

**just go back to your normal life.**

**J: I don’t think that will happen anytime soon, but it is**

**a nice but also Utterly Terrifying thought.**

**G: it already seems like he likes you a little bit!**

**G: well i'm going to get to sleep, plans soon?**

**J: Thank you Georgie.**

**J: And yes, plans soon. Goodnight.**

  
  



	4. part 4, martin + jon pov

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Bouchard strutted in like usual, wearing one of his trademark literal three-piece suits, the one today a stark black with a black and white pinstripe tie and cravat. Martin had no idea how he seemed to afford all the colleges, all the suits, while being a high school’s headmaster. He assumed the parent donations and sponsors were very generous. He is carrying a stack of brochures to something, and smiling proudly, knowing. As he passes them out, he announces “In a few weeks, we will all be going on a mandatory teacher’s retreat to the woods. So, clear up your schedules for the weekend of October 2nd!” ....
> 
> Elias announces the annual teacher's retreat!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for all the support! writing this is super fun! hope you enjoy

It continued on like this, both wanting to talk to each other but never reaching, never daring. Martin didn't stop thinking about what would happen if he actually  _ talked  _ to Jon, not just sheepishly smile at him, make him tea and hope he would be the one to make the first move. He had completely forgotten about his plan of finding a reason to hate this man. Though, it was painfully awkward during the staff meetings. They both taught mainly upperclassmen, along with Ms. King, the debate teacher, and Sasha, who would nudge Martin whenever he was caught looking at Jon for too long to be considered normal. They were both pretty quiet during these weekly meetings, Jon more than Martin, of course. They were held before school every Monday, so at an ungodly hour that required them to be there before any students. Martin knew Jon stayed even later then Martin most nights, no doubt was he half asleep at each meeting. 

The meetings usually went like this: They would get the weekly debriefing, what events or field trips were going on, what to tell their homeroom students about, etc, and would split off into their assigned groups to talk and work on grading for the rest of the allotted time. It made Martin feel like he was back in school himself, what with the stuffy, uncomfortable office it was held in, the awkward conversations even he struggled to maintain with the other teachers. When they split off, it would usually be pretty silent, save for Sasha and him trying to start friendly conversation about their weekend, and Melanie immediately shutting them down. Jon usually stared off into the distance, looking falsely interested in Mr. Bouchard’s, the headmaster, many,  _ many  _ graduation plaques hung around the room. 

Today was different. Mr. Bouchard strutted in like usual, wearing one of his trademark literal three-piece suits, the one today a stark black with a black and white pinstripe tie and cravat. Martin had no idea how he seemed to afford all the colleges, all the suits, while being a high school’s headmaster. He assumed the parent donations and sponsors were very generous. He is carrying a stack of brochures to something, and smiling proudly, knowing. As he passes them out, he announces “In a few weeks, we will  **all** be going on a  **mandatory** teacher’s retreat to the woods. So, clear up your schedules for the weekend of October 2nd!” Elias stands proudly at the front of the table, looking around for everyone’s reactions. A few seemed annoyed, which Martin sympathized with. He was just getting into a good routine with his grading, and this would probably set him back a few days. The group of chummy English teachers were delighted, looking at each other and already talking excitedly about the concept. Martin felt a tiny bit left out whenever he saw this group, he was an English teacher too, but he isn't sure he  _ actually _ wants to be in their circle. 

The pictures in the brochure he is given look nice, dreamy, even. Wood cabins lined up by a lake, surrounded by tall green looming trees. He looks over at Jon, who looks a bit worse for wear. His eyes are drooping, and his fingers are gripping his mug lazily. He has nice hands, Martin thinks. Stupid brain. The poor man probably has not even realised what’s going on. He decides to hesitantly poke him in his bony shoulder, instantly jolting him awake. He wonders briefly how sensitive, how touch-starved he must be that a gentle poke wakes him so easily. He didn’t pin him down for someone with a partner, given his late hours and general... _ tendencies.  _ He can’t say he doesn't relate. 

He quietly tells Jon to look at his brochure, and he does, sleepily. He groans softly and says, sleep prevalent in his voice, “Do you think yr gonna go?” He’d never heard Jon’s non-professional voice before, it’s nice, if not very different then his regular one. He answers, “Yeah, Probably. Don’t have that much going on.” It sounds a bit melancholic, but it’s true. He has Sasha and Tim, who he loves to pieces, and his mother, and that’s pretty much it. Even if Jon doesn’t go, he bets he could have some fun with Sasha on this trip. He can always make the best of things. Jon murmurs an “Hm…” and is back to flipping through the brochure. Elias is talking again, he realizes. 

“The destination is a wonderful little set of cabins, as you all can see in the pictures. There’s running water, clean bathrooms, all that. It won’t be all that bad, I promise. It’s going to be a  _ great  _ bonding experience!” he says to the room full of unimpressed, knackered teachers. The bell rings above them harshly, and everyone starts to clear out, grabbing a few biscuits or croissants from the table on their way out. Martin ends up next to Jon as they both file out of the office. Feeling daring, or maybe just too tired to regret his actions this early, he playfully nudges Jon’s shoulder, and says “C’mon Jon, you should go! You kinda have to, actually. Elias...y’know.” Jon looks up at him, considering, as they walk to their classrooms. As he walks into his own, waving Jon goodbye, he realizes Jon still hasn’t said Yes or No to the trip yet. Martin thinks Elias is right, maybe it  _ would  _ be a good bonding experience. 

\---------------------------------------

**Jon POV:**

The weekend of October 2nd is quickly approaching. The whole staff, no matter how apprehensive they may be about it,  _ must  _ go, according to Elias. The bastard. He and Martin have kept up their normal routine, though Jon has become even more…  _ unapproachable  _ towards him since his breakthrough with Georgie. He is not looking forward to the retreat. Martin seems to be, keeps mentioning it any time he has a brief talk with Jon. Seeing him all excited about him makes him want to be too. 

It’s Thursday night currently, and they leave for the woods after school on Friday afternoon. Jon is feverishly packing his warmest clothes, as U.K winters are harsh, especially in whatever little cabin he will be placed in. As he stuffs a sweater unceremoniously into his duffel bag, he feels his phone ringing in his back pocket. Never wanting to miss an important call, he picks up. He at first hears breathing on the other end then a quiet voice says “Er. Is this Jon?” It’s Martin. He freezes in place instantly, almost dropping the bloody phone. 

“How’d you get my number?” he retorts. 

“Oh, so it is you! Um. Sasha gave it to me? Hope that’s okay.” 

“Yes. It’s _ fine,  _ Martin. What did you need?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were still coming and all!” He says joyfully, and pauses.

“And, Do you have an idea of how cold it’s supposed to be up there?”

“Yes, I’m still coming. Can’t really do much else than that. It’s supposed to be pretty cold, I believe.”

As he answers, he smiles to himself, thinking that Martin’s regular wardrobe would be fine, with his abundance of sweaters and cardigans. He always looks so warm.

“I-I was just asking, since Sasha won’t be able to come due to some family stuff. And, y-yknow. I want you to be there.”

They are both quiet for a second, and he could hear the blush in Martin’s voice. Jon’s blushing too, like a schoolgirl. What has his life come to? He sighs into the receiver and says

“Well. Thank You, Martin. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” in his best monotone. 

Martin rushes his goodbyes, and the phone clicks off. This has been going on too long. Too many times has Martin smiled at him in halls and caused Jon a tiny heart attack. He  _ wants  _ so bad it hurts. 

  
Jon falls into a restless sleep that night after a lot more anxious packing and repacking, and if he drifts off to the thought of Martin handing him his tea and pulling him in for a kiss, that is his business. If he wakes with the phantom heat of Martin, Dream Martin, draped across his wiry body, that is _also_ his business and no one else's. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! talk to me on tumblr at @ irlmartin! :)


	5. part 5, martin pov

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon was draped over Martin ungracefully on the bus ride to the cabin site. He was sitting as still as he could as they drove through the bumpy, swerving hills of the countryside. Jon’s soft hair was spread out from where he was leaning on Martin’s shoulder. The bus was silent save for the radio playing distantly from the speakers on the ceiling, playing some mix of almost-recognizable pop songs...
> 
> The first day of the teacher's retreat!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise shit will happen in the next chapter. i mean stuff happens here but... more stuff will happen ok!

Jon was draped over Martin ungracefully on the bus ride to the cabin site. He was sitting as still as he could as they drove through the bumpy, swerving hills of the countryside. Jon’s soft hair was spread out from where he was leaning on Martin’s shoulder. The bus was silent save for the radio playing distantly from the speakers on the ceiling, playing some mix of almost-recognizable pop songs. Martin originally planned to read and listen to music, just have a nice zone-out on the way to where he knew he would get no alone time at  _ all.  _ He had just picked up a new poetry anthology and hadn’t gotten around to listening to the new Fiona Apple record yet. Then, Jon had planted himself on the seat next to Martin’s and immediately fell asleep. Poor man. Now, all of Martin’s thoughts had been reduced to  _ Jon Is Close to Me - Jon is ON me - Jon Jon Jon  _ as he watched the farms and open plains blur past.

Martin wasn’t entirely sure how much time had passed at this point. He kept falling in and out of sleep, always awoken by a particularly sharp turn or Jon shifting closer to him. He hoped no one else was looking at him and Jon, though Elias had a tendency to be a creep like that. Martin decided to try to maneuver his phone out of his jeans pocket, and after having to hold Jon’s sleeping form up, he realized it was almost 8 pm. They had to be almost there! He wished sullenly that having Jon so close to him would last a bit longer, but would be happy to stretch his legs and unpack for the weekend. 

After 30 more minutes of gripping the rough bus seat fabric in an attempt not to run his fingers through Jon’s hair, careful not to touch him at all, they finally pulled into the site. Jon woke with a start as Melanie blew some air horn she had found in the emergency kit, grinning as everyone slowly woke up. He rested his head back down on Martin’s chest before looking up and realizing it was  _ Martin’s chest _ and quickly gathered his things and stood up in the aisle studiously. Martin sat there and thought about what the fuck he had gotten himself into, dually meaning _ Jon _ and this tortourous Teacher’s Retreat. 

\---------------------------------------

As the group of teachers stood in the cramped check-in room of the cabin site, Elias paired off teachers for each cabin, each with two beds. As the group got increasingly smaller, Martin realized he and Jon were inevitably going to pairs. One because God hates him, and two because he and Jon were the only two men left besides Elias, and he was pairing them off by gender like a bloody summer camp. When he got to Martin’s name, Elias looked him square in the eyes and  _ smirked,  _ side eyeing Jon as well. What a wanker. Is he really that obvious? Martin awkwardly smiled at Jon as he accepted the key from Elias, and headed out the door with Jon behind him. 

At least the place was nice. The cabins looked out over a deep blue lake with picnic and campfire areas all around. The rooms themselves a bit shabby, too cramped for probably both Martin and Jon’s liking. And. He quickly realized that there was only one bed. Of _course._ Martin cursed Elias under his breath as he dropped his bags on the small burio shoved in the corner. Jon trudged in slightly after, and looked at the bed then at Martin then back at the bed, then back to Martin helplessly. Martin immediately blurted out “Icansleeponthefloor. Um.” he pauses, collecting himself.

“I can sleep on the floor, Jon.” 

“No. No- I’m sure it’ll be fine.” he said, eyes darting around nervously. 

They both looked at each other, assessing each other’s reactions. 

Martin turned his focus back to unpacking his belongings, distractedly placing his books and toiletries onto the worn burio. His thoughts were rapid. Jon and him were going to sleep in the same bed! He tried to hide his giddy smile as he unpacked. Jon started to do the same, lugging his obviously-heavy duffel bag across the wooden flooring. 

After they both got comfortable, it was getting late. Jon had already fallen asleep in an uncomfortable-looking position while grading a stack of math tests. Martin had been decidedly too restless to sleep, and had settled on texting with Sasha until his melatonin dosage he had smartly taken kicked in. 

**Sasha :)**

**M: sashaaaaaaaa**

**M: i'm having a crisis are you awake**

**S: ugh yes its too fuckin late tho**

**S: what happened?**

**M: Jon fell asleep on me on the bus ride today!!!**

**M: And we are sharing a room w ONE BED**

**S: WOW**

**S: okay**

**M: yea**

**S: how are you doing?**

**M: i think so? idk really how i'm going to sleep**

**M: we’ll just have to see if i can lol**

**S: how was the bus ride btw?**

**M: It was really nice actually!**

**M: god sasha i like him so much ow**

**S: oh martin…**

**S: i warned you!**

**M: yea yea i know**

He feels Jon stir beside him, and looks over. His eyes are open, and he’s looking up at him. Oh  _ God,  _ did Jon see what I was typing, Martin thinks. Oh God. He looks up at the ceiling then quickly back at Jon, silence still filling the room. Jon looks-he looks warmer then he usually does. He’s staring up at Martin, glasses off, which is a new sight, and he looks at peace. It’s shocking, to say the least. Martin clicks his phone off which eliminates any trace of light in the small room. He mentally reminds himself to text Sasha back in the morning. He mumbles 

**“** G’nite, Jon.”

**“** Goodnight, Martin.”

As his tiredness finally sets in a bit, he remembers that Jon,  _ Jon _ is right next to him, presumably sleeping. He gets comfortable the best he can without touching Jon at all, despite the small size of the bed. Martin settles for laying straight on his back, and tries not to think about the closeness of him, hoping sleep will take him soon.


	6. part 6, jon POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Jon wakes up that Saturday morning, he notices first the sun streaming in from the small window facing him. The second thing he realizes, with a jolt, is that he is very close to Martin, who is still sleeping. His small arm is draped over the man’s sleeping form, and his legs are pressed against Martin’s. He looks peaceful, to say the least. The sun is cast over the freckles that litter Martin’s body, and his worn shirt has ridden up to show an expanse of pale skin on his stomach. Jon wishes that every morning could be like this, and hopes he never has to say those words aloud...
> 
> Day 2 of the Teacher's Retreat!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so this is going to be the second to last chapter for After Hours! thank you guys so much for reading this far! hope you enjoy, and i'll be posting the last chapter soon after this one.

When Jon wakes up that Saturday morning, he notices first the sun streaming in from the small window facing him. The second thing he realizes, with a jolt, is that he is _ very  _ close to Martin, who is still sleeping. His small arm is draped over the man’s sleeping form, and his legs are pressed against Martin’s. He looks  _ peaceful _ , to say the least. The sun is cast over the freckles that litter Martin’s body, and his worn shirt has ridden up to show an expanse of pale skin on his stomach. Jon wishes that every morning could be like this, and hopes he never has to say those words aloud. He is too far gone, and far too comfortable to pull away. He falls back asleep soon after, the feeling of Martin’s warm body so close to his and the countless late nights he had been pulling adding up.

When he wakes again, resentfully this time, to the sound of Ms. King blowing a whistle outside their door as a wake up call, apparently, and he is alone in the bed. Martin’s side of the bed is still warm, so he hasn’t been gone too long, Jon concludes. He blearily checks the time on his phone, quickly turning the brightness down. _ 6:30 AM,  _ it reads. Jon usually sleeps in till 10 or so on Saturdays, and groans unhappily as he maneuvers himself upright to sit on the edge of the bed. His hair is in desperate need of a combing, and maybe a wash, so he reluctantly ties it up into a haphazard ponytail. He doesn't know where Martin may be, and starts his morning routine, or as much of it he is able to do. He can’t exactly wear his usual attire if they are to be walking about the woods, and settles on some relaxed navy blue chinos and an old black button up. As he pulls on the shirt, Martin stumbles in, carrying a bag of toiletries. 

“Ah- Good Morning Jon!” Martin says, as Jon rushes to pull his binder over his head, and button up his shirt, blushing profusely. Luckily, Martin seems unfazed. He feels himself warm at the thought, no awkward conversations or negotiations. He does know Martin is  _ something,  _ he did take personal charge to start Bishop’s first Gay Straight Alliance, and it seems to be going very well. As he realizes he is absolutely staring off into space, Jon waves at Martin awkwardly, and busies himself with zipping up his stuffed duffel bag. With a shock, Jon remembers what he saw last night. Martin was texting Sasha about  _ him.  _ But, it couldn't be true. He was half asleep, falling in and out of consciousness. And, more importantly, Martin could,  _ would  _ never think of him in that way. He brusquely shakes off the thought, and goes back to getting dressed. He has no idea what Elias has planned for today, and isn't exactly keen on finding out. 

\---------------------------------------

The day goes surprisingly well, despite the quite bone-chilling cold that surrounds the area. They are given free time for the majority of the day, with the promise of a Teacher’s Campfire at dinner. Jon decides it feels a bit reminiscent of the summer camp he was never able to go to as a kid, always staying home with his grandmother. The area really is nice, so he lets Martin drag him around for the rest of the day, pointing out colorful flowers or little animals in the distance. Martin keeps sticking his tongue out as he traces their path out on the crumpled map he insisted on buying from the lackluster gift store. It’s very endearing, Jon thinks. He leads Jon hesitantly through the sun-lit forest, the day warming up as they go along. Martin tries to start a conversation a few times throughout, but the silence that lies between them isn't necessarily awkward. It's...peaceful, he could say. Jon desperately wants to take Martin’s hand throughout the entire day, but of course he doesn't. 

The teacher’s campfire goes mildly successful, despite Elias telling genuinely creepy, unfamiliar stories at the head of the group. The warmth of the fire warms Martin's face, and he  _ wants.  _ There is too much of it to put out into the world, all the things he yearns for between him and Martin, he decides. He falls asleep again on Martin’s shoulder, and is awoken by his soft hand slowly lifting his head up. Martin’s blue eyes sparkle slightly in the dying firelight, and he feels more in love then he ever has. Jon lets Martin pull his tired form up, and together they walk disjointedly back to their cabin. 

He falls back asleep almost immediately, after being forced to change by Martin, reprimanding him for thinking it’s normal to sleep in corduroys. He falls asleep with a smile on his face as Martin hesitantly gets into bed with him, careful not to touch Jon. But, at 2:00 am, he is awoken again by the sound of Martin’s voice calling out… saying his name. Trying to hear Martin again, Jon sits up in the bed. 

“Mmmph….Jon.” Martin mumbles sleepily. 

“Y-yes? Martin?” 

“Love you.” he twists his face into the pillow, and repeats himself, “Mmph- I love you. Jon.”

He feels himself blush all over. Well, fuck, he thinks. There it is. He doesn't know whether to feel mortified that he just heard Martin’s obviously private confession, or to jump for joy because  _ Martin loves him back.  _ Jon’s mind goes blank for a second at the words, feeling it all over. His heart is going miles per minute, making him breathe heavily as he looks down at Martin’s sleeping form, unsure of what to do next. He seems to have quieted down. It’s too fucking early for this shit, he thinks. Jon decides to move closer to Martin, wrapping his arm around his broad chest. The last thing he thinks before he falls into a restless sleep is “ _ I Love You, too, Martin.”,  _ and his heart swells in his chest at the thought. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :eye emoji: :eye emoji: :eye emoji: :eye emoji: :eye emoji: wrow


	7. part 7, martin pov

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Martin wakes up that morning, Jon isn't there. It takes him a bit to wake up fully, the weirdness of waking up in a place that isnt your bedroom still getting to him. He finally starts to gather his clothes for the day after lying in bed for another good 15 minutes, and then he /remembers/...
> 
> The morning after!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here is the last part of After Hours! thank you guys so much for reading this far! this is the chapter where shit finally happens and i shove my martin headcanons down yr throat :) cw for gender stuff!

When Martin wakes up that morning, Jon isn't there. It takes him a bit to wake up fully, the weirdness of waking up in a place that isnt your bedroom still getting to him. He finally starts to gather his clothes for the day after lying in bed for another good 15 minutes, and then he  _ remembers. _ It doesn't feel real at first, like Jon staring down at him,  _ hearing him _ , was all part of the dream he was partially engrossed in, but he knows it was real.  _ I have to find Jon,  _ Martin thinks. To apologize, to explain, to do something to fix this. He gets dressed hurriedly, haphazardly pulling on his binder so fast he bruises himself with his own elbow, face twisting up in pain as he tries not to think about what he's about to do. If he doesn’t think about the implications, he might be able to actually go through with it. 

Just as he grasps for the doorknob, Jon swings the door open on the other side. The door frame almost hits Martin in the nose as he stares at the man in front of him Well, no time like the present, Martin thinks.

“Jon. I’m so sorry. I- I know that we are just coworkers, or work friends, or- whatever. I’m. I’m really sorry if this messes up anything between us. I don’t- I’m sorry.” his words rush out quickly as he flits his gaze from Jon to the wood floor beneath him. Jon steps forward, and Martin instinctively steps back.

“No.” Jon says, firmly.

“Uh- No?”

“I. I mean- Martin. I like-  _ love  _ you too. Have been since the moment I saw you.”

“WHA-” He is quickly shut up by Jon,  _ Jon _ taking his stubbly face in hands and kissing him. It’s awkward, at first. Martin still has his glasses on, and Jon’s lips are chapped, of  _ course _ . But it’s Jon, and it’s perfect in that way. He instinctively deepens the kiss, twisting his head and moaning slightly as Jon moves closer to him. Martin would feel horribly embarrassed about being so eager if Jon didn’t move his hands from his face and pull Martin closer. They are flush against each other now, chests moving in sync with each other’s heavy breathing. He finally takes off his glasses, placing them on the bedside table. Jon’s eyes bore into him as he lies on the creaking bed, moving closer until Jon lies above him. 

“I’m  _ prettyyy  _ sure you didn’t fall in love with me instantly.” Martin smiles up at him, jokingly.

“Hey! Okay, I may have been a bit apprehensive, at first but I did! I just didn’t realize it at first. I do love you.” 

Martin flushes below him. None of this feels real. Jon  _ loves  _ him. He pulls Jon in for another kiss, overwhelmed with love and adrenaline. He feels him relax under his touch, and it feels good to just be there with him for a second. As they settle into each other, the breakfast call, Ms. King’s whistle, makes both of them jolt, the piercing sound penetrating the quietness of the cabin. 

“Fuck.” Jon sighs. It’s nice, Martin thinks. He’s never heard Jon curse before, and the words sound better coming from him. He smiles despite himself, still in shock from the events of the morning. 

“Mmph- Jon-” he warns as Jon tries to pull him in for another kiss. “We gotta go. We  _ are _ gonna talk about  _ this-”  _ he gestures around the room, at Jon and himself, “when we get back, okay?”

“Fine.” Jon says, smiling down at Martin.

\---------------------------------------

They get back to cabin early that night, sneaking out of whatever Scary Story night Mr. Keay was trying to pull. Martin lies down in the bed first, gesturing for Jon to join him.

“I promised you we’d talk about stuff. So, here we are. Ask me something.” Jon says. 

“Uh- What’s your identity? Like. I mean how do you identify?” he explains awkwardly.

“Hm. Okay. Well. I- I don’t like sex. I just- I don't-”

“Hey, It’s okay, Jon. Don’t worry. You mean you’re asexual?” 

“Y- Yeah.” Jon relaxes a bit more into Martin’s arms, like a weight has been lifted. “Oh! And I think you know that I’m trans.”

Martin smiles, and nods, and awkwardly holds his hand up for a high-five. Jon hesitantly presses his hand against Martin’s own, smiling confusedly. 

“Me too. I’m trans too.” He smiles warmly.

“Oh! Really? That's- That's great.”

“And I’m gay too, but uh- I think you know that at this point.”

“Ah. Yeah.” Jon smiles, again. “I’m bi, as well.”

“Oh! Nice!” Martin says. “Okay, your turn to ask me a question.”

“Hm. Okay. Lemme think. Ah! Er- How- When did you know you loved me?”

Martin blushes. “Okay. I- I don’t think there was a specific moment where it all happened instantly, but after I saw you for the first time, you were all I thought about. I always looked for you in the halls, and I tried to think of conversation topics- stuff like that. And then, eventually, I just realized. I was in love. Oh- I mean. I  _ am  _ in love.” Jon blushes too, and Martin pushes his shoulder, giddy, and absolutely in love. 

“What about you?” Martin asks.

“I thought I hated you-” Martin scrunches up his eyebrows, in surprise or annoyance, he isn’t sure. “At first! At first. I thought I hated you, and _ then,  _ I was ranting to my friend Georgie about you, how caring you were, how you always made me tea, all that, and she made me realize it was a crush. And then, same as you, I would say, you were all I thought about. I started  _ actually _ looking forward to those weekly meetings, just to see you. And I can never get my tea the way you do, that part helped.”

Martin smiles at him widely, still in partial disbelief at  _ everything _ that has happened that day. 

“Mmm… Okay. Next Question. Ah- Who’s Georgie? How d’ya know her?”

“Georgie? Oh, We met in university a while back. We dated for a while, but we are completely just friends now. Good ones, at that. Ah, back in the day, we were in a punk cover band together. We thought we were super cool.”

“You were in a band?  _ Mr. Sims, High School Math Teacher at Bishop Academy,  _ was in a band? Oh my god. You gotta show me photos.”

“I’m sure there’s no trace of that time of my life at my flat. But, I can ask Georgie for some if you’re really that desperate.”

“I absolutely am!” Martin says. They lie there for a bit more, just enjoying the closeness of each other, the warmth of each other in the cold cabin, both too comfortable to get up and turn the heat on. After a while, Jon turns his head towards Martin and asks him another question. 

“Martin?”

“Yeah, Jon?”

“How did you know you were trans? Ah- You don’t have to tell me right now, just- if you want.”

“Oh! Well, I always knew there was something different about me, I guess. I never wanted to hang out with the girls in my class, though, they didn’t seem too keen to either. My mum forced me, basically kicking and screaming, into like hyper feminine clothes till I was in my teens. I mean, she still did, but I was growing faster then and she valued less shopping trips over the way I dressed. And then, I got my first job, and I was able to dress more how I wanted. Plus, my dad, though he wasn’t there much, or, at all, got me a computer, out of guilt, I would guess. I was able to find the words for what I was feeling, what I was going through.”

Jon seemed to be listening intently, and it felt good to tell him all of this, so Martin continued.

“After high school, I was able to explore a bit more. My boyfriend at the time was able to get me a binder, and I got to go to college for a bit. Hah, he was in a punk band. Like you, I guess. Maybe I have some sort of type. Then, I started going by Martin, and I was so happy. It felt so  _ right.  _ Then, my mum's health went downhill. I couldn’t go to college anymore. Was too expensive. So, I moved back in, and started working two jobs to cover everything. I did try telling her, multiple times actually, but every time, she wouldn't listen, or she would just brush me off. Plus, she was mad at me enough for picking such a low-paying major, Education.”

He looks down at Jon, who is looking up at him sympathetically, still fixed on Martin’s face as he talks. “And then, I met Tim.” He smiles, reminiscing. “I found a old flyer for a LGBT support group in the area at the bulletin board at the shop I was working at back then. I didn’t even know if it was still active, but I showed up at the community center on Tuesdays at 5 like it said too, and I felt at home. Me and Tim hit it off instantly, and he was so great. He was a teacher at one of the nearby schools, and they were desperate for new hires that they didn’t even care about my lack of experience. I was able to start T with the salary of the teaching job and the extra hours I worked at a friend of a friend’s bookshop. I met Sasha at that school too, and I worked there for a while, then Sasha got a new job here, and it looked so cool, and the salary helps, as well. I still take the tube a far way to my mum’s house, and she’s. She’s intolerable. I can grow a beard if I wanted, and she still calls me my old name. Still buys me dresses. She’ll never change.” 

Martin knows he will regret talking badly about his mother, but now it just feels good to tell Jon everything. 

“Hah, Sorry for telling you my whole life story. There’s a lot. Um-” Jon kisses him again, pushing him back into the pillows. “I love you so much. I hope you know that.” Warmth fills Martin’s body at the words, and he knows Jon isn’t lying. “I’ll tell you all my stuff another time. I- I want to tell you all that, but I’m too comfortable here with you right now to do so.” Jon says quietly, pressing his head to the juncture of Martin’s neck and shoulder. They can just be here, together, for a bit, he decides. Before they both fall asleep, Martin quietly asks Jon something, nudging him awake persistently. 

“Jon- A-are you my boyfriend now?”

Jon chuckles at him sleepily and says “ _ Yes,  _ Martin, I  _ am _ your boyfriend now.” He would sound incredibly annoyed if not for the giddy smile spreading across his face.  _ I am so lucky,  _ Jon thinks as he looks up at Martin’s pink-tinged face as he falls asleep in Martin’s,  _ his boyfriends, _ arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! you can find me on tumblr @ irlmartin! this was my first ever multi chapter fic i actually finished so thank you for your kudos/comments etc :)

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading, i hope you enjoyed! i'll be posting more chapters soon as some are already written...kudos n comments are appreciated!


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